. >> i, ross mercurimi -- >> the year got off to a rough start for san francisco's new sheriff, ross mercurimi, facing domestic abuse charges and a suspension. throughout the year, politics took center stage, the presidential election the main event, starting with eight serious republican candidates vying for the nomination. ethnic voters flexed their political muscle, giving president obama an unexpectedly early election night win over republican rival mitt romney. california's public education system was saved from severe budget cuts with the november passage of governor brown's proposition 30, but voters didn't say yes to all taxes. an attempt to tax soda in richmond failed, as did a statewide tobacco tax on the june ballot. new districts drawn by a citizens commission and the voter-approved top two primary system shook up races for congress and the state legislature, putting a record number of freshmen in the assembly and giving democrats a rare supermajority in sacramento. it was the beginning of realignment of the state's criminal justice system, and voters approved reform of t